The Constitution and Guiding Policy of the ChatNet IRC Network
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Revision 9.0.2 [4/29/1999]
Written by mlong of RockHill.SC.US.ChatNet.Org Michael Long (mlong@mlong.net)
Changes via cadmin discussion and approval.

[ Introduction ]

This document is designed to be a guiding document for the ideals, values, and ideas of the ChatNet IRC network. [ Ideals ] This network is here for the enjoyment and entertainment of our users. It is also designed for the free flow of ideas and opinions between individuals. Individuals should be able to state opinions without being killed or G:lined by administration. ChatNet officials are here to assist in the smooth operation of the network and to ensure users have a pleasant online experience. At all costs, anyone impacting the fun and entertainment environment of the network (especially through harassment, flooding, and extreme unprofessionalism or rudeness to users) must be removed from the network.

[ Policies and Rules ]

There are few set policies on the ChatNet network other than this document because the administrators of this network want everyone to use common sense and to act sensibly and to the best of their abilities when conducting themselves on the network. ChatNet officials should use their best professional and moral judgment to the best of their abilities when dealing with situations on the network.

[ Abuse, Complaints, and the Courts ]

When any official of ChatNet acts in a manner which one considers to be abusive or inappropriate, a complaint may be made to complaints@chatnet.org. The complaint secretary (i.e., individual checking mail at complaints@chatnet.org) will then assign a tracking number to the complaint and email it to the appropriate jury AND the person being accused AND the accused's superior (for FONs and ircops, it is the admin; for committees, it is the chair or leader). The jury will be a court of the accused's peers which will act through standard voting procedures and determine appropriate action (punishment or dismissal) to be taken against the accused. The jury shall review the complaint and all evidence, request more as needed, and vote for action, or lack thereof.

The jury is as follows:
Accused Jury
FON CAdmin (Admins + OperCom)
IRCop OperCom
Admin Admins
CService CService or CService Leader (decided by CService)
All Others Their own committee (RoutingCom, NewsCom, etc.)

The accused shall be allowed to submit whatever necessary information or statements on his/her behalf to contradict any evidence submitted.

Should the jury's decision be questioned, an appeal may be made to the admins. The admins can then decide to uphold or change the decision.

Should the appeal be against an admin jury, the appeal will go to the ChatNet Executive Committee.

No ChatNet Official is immune to discipline or the ideals of this network, and no official has sovereign rights when it comes to abuse and punishment. If a person constantly abuses the network, he or she will be removed.

Should the accused be an ircop or FON, the accused's admin may remove the individual at any time and effectively end the vote (causing the vote to be dismissed as ADMIN ACTION). The ircop or FON cannot serve in that capacity in the future if he or she was removed by the admin during the complaint discussion period.

If the accused is removed for abuse by the jury, the accused cannot serve in any official capacity on the network in the future (including being an ircop or FON on a different server). All complaints will be kept on the ChatNet website, so that the network may track past complaints and determine if trends are occurring with an official.

All complaints will be posted to the website with their tracking numbers and with the outcome of the vote.

Complaints received from hotmail.com, yahoo.com, or any other free or anonymous remailer service should be disregarded unless:
A. the submitter resends using a non-free or non-anonymous host or
B. the submitter is able to prove to the complaint secretary beyond a reasonable doubt that they are who they say they are.

[ Personal Disputes ]

Personal disputes between ChatNet officials have no place on the mailing lists or in public. Instead, the issue should be taken private, or there should be a kill war. The person to endure the longest wins. Or more likely, their aggression will fade after a while or they will get tired/bored and they will stop and determine a solution to their disagreement. Kill scripts are not allowed and will result in the user being taken out back and shot.

[ Voting Process ] Any thing related to the ChatNet network may be modified by a simple majority of voting cadmin members. CService and ChatWorld have one vote each. No server or individual may have more than one vote. If an admin is an admin for 2 servers, then the admin can appoint another admin or assistant admin of said server to vote. Only admins, assistant admins, or OperCom may vote on cadmin.

Votes occur as follows:
3 days for discussion once discussion is completed, the secretary will post the issue for a vote. The post shall consist of the tracking number, the begin date and time, the end date and time, the issue being voted on, the choices/selections for the vote, and any special voting instructions. The vote lasts 4 days.

[ OperCom ]

OperCom is a committee made up of 9 ircops voted on by the majority of voting ircops. This committee will have one vote on every admin decision, and will be able to see all admin discussions. The committee vote is a simple majority of voting admins. The committee will appoint one member to post their votes and ideas to cadmin (a spokesperson). Ideas should go through discussion through the committee before being sent to cadmin (the committee as a whole participates in cadmin, not the (individual members). Members serve 6-month terms, and all members will be up for re-election at the same time. Essentially, OperCom will receive cadmin mail, but only the spokesperson can post back to cadmin.

[ RoutingCom ]

RoutingCom is responsible for maintaining, recruiting, filtering and linking the best servers available to ChatNet. In addition, RoutingCom is responsible for maintaining and distributing server lists to all known IRC clients and to the ChatNet webmaster(s). To this end, RoutingCom will be maintaining and publishing its own standards for determining the best servers to be linked, a website for collecting applications, its own process for weeding out undesirable links, and making the initial 45 day probationary link to ChatNet. The committee will also maintain the C/N/H/U/Q, ServerIDs, numeric M codes, and server configuration information that is essential to the function of this network. Since cadmin does not necessarily have the time to interview and select the best group of people to serve in RoutingCom, and since sometimes the dynamics of an all volunteer group cause it to need more or less members at any given time, cadmin will pick a single person to chair the committee. Cadmin will choose a person whom it feels has the best ability to both understand routing and effectively lead a group. That person will pick his or her team and proceed on accomplishing the tasks and goals of RoutingCom. The RoutingCom chair will serve a 1 year term and can be reappointed/re-elected as many times as desired by cadmin.

[ New Servers ]

New servers are automatically assigned to a probationary period of 45 days. At the beginning of a probationary period, RoutingCom hands over all data about the probationary server to cadmin. A week before the end of the probationary period, RoutingCom will announce to cadmin that it must vote on a permanent link of the server. The cadmin secretary will proceed to setup and track the vote. Cadmin can vote on the server link at anytime before the end of the probationary period. Cadmin can also extend the period of a probationary link if it so chooses. If a server is voted to not be confirmed, that server must be delinked from the network within 24 hours. This includes jupe and removing CN lines from hubs. New servers will not have voting rights until they are out of the probationary period, and they will not be on the admin-only mailing list until they are out of the probationary period.

[ Mailing List ]

There are mailing lists for admins/OperCom (cadmin), admins, ircops, and OperCom. Admins are required to be subscribed to cadmin and check the list regularly (not filter it to the trash). Active admin participation is key to making this network a success. There will also be a separate admin-only list that admins will be required to subscribe to. This list won't be seen by OperCom and will deal with admin-only issues such as routing.

[ CService ]

Admins and ircops should not interfere with the daily operation of CService pertaining to channel registrations or deletions. The only exception is an admin vote on specific actions when absolutely necessary (legal issues, etc.). Admins and ircops can help to solve K9-channel problems if they have been properly trained by CService. CService is a self-governing body with respect to members (it appoints its own members as needed).

[ Fun ]

Ircops and admins can use wallops, can kill each other, and can use K9 say and act as long as things do not get out of hand. If someone asks you to stop, you should stop.

[ Speaking Your Mind ]

It is ok to express any negative feelings you have about the network, a policy, and admin, or an ircop BUT they cannot be public. Do not mouth off in #nuthouse or wallops...keep it private.

Similarly, the official ChatNet channels are for assisting users only. Users are offered no protection from kicks and bans when they state opinions or chat excessively in official channels. Officials shall do whatever is necessary to ensure that their effectiveness in helping users is not hampered by individuals who wish to chat, insult, or otherwise tie-up official channels.

[ Official Channels ]

An official may be in any channel which is allowed on ChatNet. Individual servers may enact their own policies regarding what channels ircops and FONs are allowed in if they wish. Only in the case that both K9 and Chatworld are down at the same time will ops in official channels be allowed to op others.Whenever k9 or Chatworld are available then the only acceptable way to gain ops in official channels will be thru one of those. No auto-ops scripts will be allowed and the auto-ops function on k9 is not to be used in official channels. #nuthouse is the official administration channel. All ircops and admins should be in this channel when they are opered up.

#chatnet is the ChatNet officials channel.
#doghouse is the CService help channel.
#help is the official help channel.
#k9_101 is the official K9 teaching channel.

All Admins/IRCOps/FONs will have their level on k9 established according to the channels individual "Code of Conduct" (CoC) and will be governed by their individual channel rules/guidelines. However, it is noted that any person who is legitimately +O in a channel (registered or not) may kick or ban any official for any reason. #help and #doghouse are help channels and should not be idled in as this confuses the user and the other helpers as to who can help and who is helping. If you aren't in there to help or there in some official capacity, then part.

#help and #doghouse are help channels and should not be idled in as this confuses the user and the other helpers as to who can help and who is helping. If you aren't in there to help, then part.

[ Services ]

K9 is the official and only channel service. ChatWorld is the official and only operator service. There is no NickServ service, and private NickServ services or bots are banned from the network. No automated script or bot that is not an official service may have a O (global) line.

[ Broadcasts ]

Officials should ensure any global broadcasts they perform are of a substantive and needed basis. ChatWorld broadcasts should not be used for fun and games. The exceptions are holidays and birthday/marriage announcements.

[ Assistant Admins (aka co-admins) ]

Assistant admins are considered admins but must be confirmed on by the majority of voting cadmin. Assistant admins do not get voting rights unless the main admin does not vote (only one vote allowed per server). Assistant admins must be equal in ability as the main admin to be able to handle server emergencies. Assistant admins must meet the same requirements for competency that a main admin meets. Should a company employee 2 admins to maintain a server, the company shall provide written documentation validating this status. At that time, both admins will be considered equal, but only one may vote on cadmin issues.

[ Local Ircops ]

Local ircops are treated the same as global ircops in all regards, except they do not have cross-kill access or access to ChatWorld services.

[ K9 ]

Admins and assistant admins may add their own ircops and FONs to official channels, but must send an email notifying cadmin and cservice of the addition.

[ Opinion Protection ]

No official may be removed for speaking their opinions or views as long as it is in a private setting (not visible to users). This of course doesn't protect ircops and FONs from being removed when they speak out against their own admin (though another admin can pick them up).

[ Executive Council ]

The executive council consists of appointees of Nu Tech Software Solutions, Inc., the sponsor of K9 and DNS. Currently the council consists of Dr-Who, BP, and pHaNtAsy. The Executive Council will step in and make a decision when: -the admin vote is tied -the network is spiralling towards oblivion, all hell is breaking loose, or similar situations The Executive Council will also help to clarify vague wording on policies, interpret policies when there is a question regarding meaning, and to act when cadmin needs guidance.

[Server Officials]

The following list is a list of recognized ChatNet officials. All officials must fall into these categories:
-admin -assistant admin -ircop -local ircop -committee member RoutingCom,CService,OperCom,NewsCom,Executive Council)